Luigi Mazzola, the former Ferrari engineer from the Schumacher era, has given a brutally honest assessment of Ferrari’s disastrous 2025 F1 season. From their disappointing fourth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship to the performance collapse of Lewis Hamilton, Luigi Mazzola doesn’t mince words in his evaluation. He also highlights the questionable technical choices, especially regarding suspension development, and concludes that the season was nothing short of a sporting catastrophe.
Ferrari’s disappointing 2025 season
The 2025 season has been nothing short of disappointing for Ferrari. Over the course of just one year, the team went from competing for the Constructors’ Championship in Abu Dhabi against McLaren in 2024, to ending up in fourth place in 2025. Not only did they fall behind McLaren, but they were also surpassed by Mercedes and Red Bull.
At the start of the season, Ferrari’s leadership had high expectations, with many declaring that the team was ready to fight for titles in Formula 1. However, it became clear from the Bahrain pre-season tests that the SF-25 lacked the necessary potential to challenge for the championship. So, how can Ferrari’s 2025 campaign be defined? Luigi Mazzola shared his thoughts on the Pit Talk podcast, calling it a catastrophe.
Luigi Mazzola’s blunt assessment of Ferrari’s 2025 season
“Ferrari? In a few words, I would say a disaster, honestly. I would call it a nightmare. We ended last year with a car and drivers fighting for the Constructors’ Championship, and now we’re finishing in fourth place with an uncompetitive car. We have a seven-time world champion who is consistently qualifying outside the top 15, not even making it into Q2, and a Charles Leclerc who is giving his all but complaining about the car’s lack of performance. The only positive is the reliability,” Luigi Mazzola stated bluntly.
“But it’s clear that the expectations were completely different. That’s why I call it a catastrophe. The expectations were entirely different. Even the development was lacking. They focused everything on a rear suspension, and frankly, I don’t understand the reasoning behind investing money in a suspension when in F1, aerodynamics matter much more. Sure, maybe the suspension had some effect on aerodynamic performance, but I’m not sure. Honestly, I’m very disappointed by the technical level and by the fact that they couldn’t get Lewis Hamilton to perform. That really left me perplexed. I can’t imagine that a seven-time world champion doesn’t know how to drive; I just don’t believe it.”
Ferrari’s technical missteps and lack of progress
As pointed out by Luigi Mazzola, the decision to overhaul the car with a new suspension concept instead of focusing on more crucial areas, like aerodynamics, was a risky move that didn’t pay off. These missteps contributed to Ferrari’s struggles throughout the season, with the team failing to win a single Grand Prix in 2025. What can we expect from Ferrari in 2026? According to Luigi Mazzola, the only way is up—things can’t really get any worse, so there is hope for improvement in the coming season.
Despite the scathing criticism and the undeniable disappointment of the past season, the focus in Maranello now shifts entirely to the future. With the sweeping technical regulation changes approaching in 2026, every team will effectively start from a blank sheet of paper. Ferrari’s deep resource pool and history suggest that a major turnaround is possible, offering the Scuderia a crucial opportunity to put the failures of 2025 behind them and finally deliver the competitive car their fans and drivers have long awaited.
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